Monday, October 29, 2012

The Surrey Eagles are thrilled to announce that 20-year-old forward Brady Shaw has committed to attend Bentley University, beginning in the 2013-2014 season.

The Ottawa, Ontario native joined the Birds on October 19th after being acquired from Coquitlam. Since the trade, Shaw has put up six points in three games with Surrey.

"While Brady has only been with the Eagles program for a short time, you can tell that he has natural goal scoring ability and big body presence that will translate well at the NCAA level," said Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Matt Erhart. "We're thrilled that Brady has taken the next step in his hockey career and look forward to having him as a part of our team and working with him to help prepare him for the next level."

Bentley University is located in Waltham, Massachusetts -- just northwest of Boston. The Falcons play in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Hockey Conference, and Shaw is looking forward to playing there.

"I chose Bentley because their academics are second to none. They have a really good business program that I'm really excited about," said Shaw. "It's also a chance to play in a competitive conference, and I feel it will fit my style of game well. They're giving me an opportunity to go in and be an impact guy right away, so it was an offer that I couldn't refuse."

Sunday, October 28, 2012

The Surrey Eagles will return to practice this week and begin preparing for three games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday against Langley, Merritt and Prince George. But two members of the team -- Michael Stenerson and Devon Toews -- will be in Alberta at the selection camp for Team Canada West. Those chosen to the team will compete in the 2012 World Junior A Challenge.

The two Eagles will be joined at the camp by 23 other players from across the BCHL as well as 18 players from the AJHL, eight from the SJHL, six from the MJHL and three from the SIJHL.

Stenerson was part of the Canada West squad that won the gold medal at last year’s tournament in Langley. The 19-year-old is looking forward to the opportunity to play in the competition again.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “It was a good group of guys last year, and I think there’s five or six returning players. I’ve talked to a couple of guys, and they’re all excited too and ready to get going.”

The Surrey forward, who has 16 points in 15 games this season and has found some chemistry of late with line mates Demico Hannoun and Brady Shaw, is hoping that his experience at the tournament last year will benefit him in his second go around.

“Going into camp knowing what to expect and what the coaches expect is a big advantage,” he said. “They’re looking for good hard Canadian hockey – fast paced and on the body. I think I can bring that.”

Meanwhile, Toews is heading to the selection camp for the first time. The 18-year-old blue liner, who is one of six BCHL defenseman who have been invited to try out, has been leaning on Stenerson for tips about what to expect.

“I’m pumped. I can’t wait,” said Toews. “It’s going to be a great opportunity. I’ve been talking to Stenerson who was there last year, just trying to find little pointers here and there like what helps you during the camp, what to do and what to bring and stuff like that.”

As a result of the camp and the tournament that follows, Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Matt Erhart could be without two of his top players for up to six games. But after both Stenerson and former Eagle Brandon Morley left the team to play in the tournament last year, Erhart has found that it can be an opportunity, not only for the players heading to the camp, but for those who will have to step into more prominent roles while Toews and Stenerson are away.

“I think (Stenerson and Morley) picked up a lot of little things and came back confident, and it coincided with our team making a good run last year,” said Erhart. “The guys came back with some confidence and other guys stepped up into bigger roles in their absence and proved that they could play in those bigger roles. It hurts when they’re gone, but at the same time it allows other guys to get more confidence and then when everybody’s back, we’ll be a more well-rounded team because of it.”

The Canada West camp begins this evening and runs until Thursday. The 2012 World Junior A Challenge will be held in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia from November 5-11.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Mario Puskarich scored a hat-trick as the Langley Rivermen got a measure of revenge for Friday night's loss, defeating the Surrey Eagles 6-5 at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday. Mason Blacklock had a strong game for the Birds, netting two goals in a losing cause.

The Rivermen got on the board first when Tanner Clarkson scored his first goal in a Langley jersey just 2:10 into the hockey game. Clarkson was acquired from Trail on Thursday. The Eagles answered back just before the midway mark of the period when Mason Blacklock completed a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play by beating Langley starter Darren Hogg. Nic Pierog and Devon Toews had helpers on the goal. But Langley took the lead again when Mitch McLain was the beneficiary of an odd bounce off the stick of Dan O'Keefe, burying the puck past Michael Santaguida at 13:42. The Rivermen extended their lead with less than two minutes remaining in the period when Puskarich picked up his first of the game, knocking the puck into the Surrey goal after a frantic scramble in the crease.

Surrey responded early in the second when Jordan Klimek scored his first BCHL goal, firing a wrist shot from the left point that found its way past Hogg. Shortly thereafter, Langley regained the two goal lead on the power play after Matt Ustaski redirected Tyler Vanscourt's point shot past Santaguida at 4:18. Surrey scored a power play goal of its own moments later when Brady Shaw and Michael Stenerson completed a pretty give-and-go passing play before Stenerson fed across the crease to Demico Hannoun who tallied his sixth of the year to pull the Birds to within one. Trevor Cameron tied the game at the 15 minute mark when Brett Mulcahy forced a turnover on the fore check and found Cameron in the slot for the goal. Following Surrey's fourth goal, Hogg was pulled from the Langley net in favour of James Barr. It looked like the game would remain tied through 40 minutes, but with just 1:10 to go in the period, Puskarich netted his second to restore the Langley lead.

The Rivermen held the 5-4 advantage until the late stages of the third period when Puskarich completed the hat-trick with an empty netter in the final minute. Mason Blacklock scored his second of the game with seven seconds remaining to pull Surrey back to within one, but the Birds couldn't tie it up in the end.

Barr was credited with the victory for Langley after coming on in relief. He made 11 saves on 12 shots. Michael Santaguida picked up the loss between the pipes for the Eagles, making 30 saves.

Surrey was 1-for-3 with the man advantage while Langley went 1-for-4. The Rivermen out shot the Eagles 37-25.

The Birds will continue their three game road swing on Thursday when they'll visit the LEC once again. The Rivermen, for their part, play on Sunday afternoon in Coquitlam.

The Surrey Eagles will look for their fourth straight win tonight as they visit the Langley Events Centre to face the Langley Rivermen. The Birds are leading the season series 1-0 after defeating the Rivermen 5-3 in Surrey on Friday evening. This evening's game is the second of three in a row between the Eagles and Rivermen.

Brady Shaw scored twice in Surrey's Friday night win. The newest addition to the nest now has four goals in two games for Surrey and has found some chemistry with line mates Michael Stenerson and Demico Hannoun. Heading into Saturday's action, the Eagles sit in fourth in the Mainland Division with a record of 8-5-0-1, but only three of the team's wins have come against opponents from their own division. Tonight's game is the first of a three game road swing for the Birds as they'll visit Langley again this coming Thursday before heading to Merritt to face the Centennials on Friday night.

The Rivermen mounted a valiant comeback on Friday after going down 4-0 at the South Surrey Arena. Mitch McLain led the charge for the Langley side, scoring twice to pull his team within one goal late in the third. Langley will be desperate for a win on Saturday after losing five of their last six games, dropping to last place in the Mainland Division. Despite the loss, the Rivermen converted twice with the man advantage on Friday.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Surrey's top line of Brady Shaw, Demico Hannoun and Michael Stenerson combined for eight points as the Eagles won their third in a row by a score of 5-3 over the Langley Rivermen on Friday night at the South Surrey Arena. Shaw scored twice and added an assist while Hannoun had three helpers and Stenerson chipped in with a goal and an assist in the win.

The Birds scored the lone goal of the opening frame at 12:42 when Hannoun knocked the puck loose to Shaw in the right attacking corner. Shaw then fed out front to Stenerson who beat Langley goaltender James Barr for his fifth goal of the season.

Surrey added to its lead early in the second when Shaw netted his ninth of the year, shovelling a rebound into the back of the Rivermen net at 2:42.

In the third, the Eagles scored twice in the first ten minutes of the period. Colton Mackie beat Barr up high off an odd man rush at 3:23. Then Shaw scored his second of the evening on the power play, deflecting Devon Toews' point shot. Barr was given the hook after the 4-0 goal, and the Rivermen answered back quickly. Mitch McLain beat Surrey net minder Michael Santaguida just nine seconds after Shaw's goal, spoiling Santaguida's shutout bid. Langley wasn't done there. At 12:40, Mark Whiteley scored a power play marker after his slap shot from the point deflected off of Toews' stick and in. McLain pulled the Rivermen to within one goal with less than five minutes remaining, knocking home a rebound at the right post while his team had the man advantage. Langley tried hard to find an equalizing goal late in the game, but Mason Blacklock iced the victory for Surrey, scoring his first as an Eagle into the empty net.

The Birds out shot Langley 47-34. Surrey went 1-for-5 on the power play while the Rivermen were 2-for-5.

The two teams will get right back at it on Saturday in Langley. The game gets underway at 7:15pm from the Langley Events Centre. Saturday's game will be the second of three consecutive games between the Eagles and Rivermen as Surrey will also visit Langley on Thursday.

The Surrey Eagles will host the Langley Rivermen for the first time this season tonight at the South Surrey Arena. The two teams will face each other eight times over the course of the year. Tonight's game is also the first of three straight agmes against the Rivermen as the Eagles will visit the Langley Events Centre on Saturday and Thursday.

The Birds are riding high after winning both of their games last weekend against Vernon and Trail. It's the first winning streak of the season for the Eagles who currently sit in fourth in the Mainland Division. Brady Shaw will return to the line-up for Surrey after missing Sunday's win over Trail due to an NCAA school visit. Devon Toews was the story in that game against the Smoke Eaters, netting the hat-trick and the double overtime winner.

"It just seemed that everything was going my way," said Toews. "I got a couple of lucky bounces, and the second goal went off one of their players and in. I just got good plays from my teammates that gave me opportunities to score."

The Rivermen won their last game 2-1 in overtime over the Vernon Vipers on Saturday but have lost four of their last five. They currently sit in last in the Mainland Division, one point behind Surrey, with a record of 6-5-0-2. Mario Puskarich leads the team with 14 points in 13 games, followed closely by Austin Azurdia with 13 points and Bo Pellah with 12. All three players have committed to NCAA schools as Puskarich will attend Vermont, Azurdia is going to Connecticut and Pellah has committed to Penn State.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Jordan Klimek may have only 19 BCHL regular season games to his name, but you wouldn’t know it from watching him play. The 17-year-old rookie defenseman of the Surrey Eagles has had a strong start to his first full year in Junior A hockey and has found a home as a key cog on the Surrey blue line.

Klimek, who hails from Langley, got his first crack with the Birds last season, appearing in eight regular season and 10 playoff games at the age of 16. Now a full time member of the Eagles, he looks back on his time with the team last year as a key part of his development.

“Last year when I was an AP, it definitely helped out,” he said. “I kind of got a taste of what it would be like, so I had a pretty solid understanding of what it’s going to take and what I have to do.”

Eagles Head Coach and General Manager Matt Erhart was impressed with Klimek’s performance last year, both with the Birds and with the Valley West Hawks of the BC Major Midget league where the young blue liner put up 42 points in 40 games.

“He has a track record from midget, being one of the top scoring defenseman in that league, and there’s a lot of good players playing in that league,” said Erhart. “He jumped in this year, and it’s a big adjustment even if you’ve played before. He had a few games here and there early in the season where he probably thought he could have played better, but I think it’s a process with these kids, and I think these last few games he’s really figured out what makes him successful.

"He’s a player that can develop into a premier power play guy in this league."

Klimek’s confident play has paid off. He’s seen more minutes on the power play and at times has found himself skating alongside second year defenseman Devon Toews. Toews has already committed to attend Quinnipiac in the NCAA next season and was in a similar situation to Klimek at this time last year. For Toews, simplicity is the key for young defensemen.

“That’s what I was told last year, just to keep things simple,” said Toews. “I was playing with Linden Saip, and he just told me to keep it simple in the defensive zone and glass it out if you need to.

“Jordan’s got a lot of potential. He’s a really smart player, and he’s been playing really simple and putting pucks on net. He’s good in his own zone.”

While the veteran leadership on the Surrey team has helped Klimek adjust to the rigours of playing in the BCHL, he feels it’s the increase in his ice time that has allowed him to really come into his own.

“The last couple of games, I’ve settled in pretty well,” he said. “I’ve gotten a little more ice time, so it’s been easier to get confident and play my game. I just have to keep it simple, make easy plays and don’t try to do too much.”

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Devon Toews netted a hat-trick, capped off by the double overtime winner, as the Surrey Eagles skated to a 5-4 victory over the Trail Smoke Eaters at the South Surrey Arena on Sunday evening. With the win, the Birds have now won two games in a row for the first time this season and improve to 7-5-0-1. For Trail, the loss was their seventh in a row. The Smokies still have just one win in the month of October.

The two teams traded goals in the opening frame. The Smoke Eaters got on the board first when Connor Collett beat Eagles goaltender Glenn Ferguson with a shot from the right circle at 2:40. Just over two minutes later, the Birds would answer back on the power play as Craig Wyszomirski scored his second goal in as many games and third marker of the season to even the score.

Trail took the lead again early in the middle frame when affiliate player Chandler Bruyckere picked up his first BCHL goal to give the visitors the advantage. But once again the home team responded before the period was out. Toews scored his first of the game off the rush, finding the mesh behind Smoke Eaters net minder Lyndon Stanwood with a snap shot off the right wing at 15:38.

The Birds took their first lead of the hockey game less than a minute into the third when Toews potted his second, firing a slapper from the point past Stanwood. Surrey maintained the lead until just past the midway point of the period when the Smokies bounced back with two goals in under two minutes from Luke Sandler and Brent Baltus to take a 4-3 lead. The Eagles weren't done yet though as Eric Chevrier scored his first goal in the BCHL with just over two minutes to go in the stanza, forcing overtime.

The fourth period solved nothing and the game went to a fifth frame of three-on-three hockey. Toews ended the evening at 1:07 of the second overtime period, beating Stanwood over the right shoulder to give the Eagles their second consecutive win.

The Birds out shot Trail 47-38 on the evening, and Surrey went 2-for-7 on the man advantage. Newcomer Brady Shaw was not in the lineup, due to the fact that he was out of town on a previously scheduled visit to an NCAA school.

The Eagles will return to action on Friday night at the South Surrey Arena in the first game of a back-to-back, home-and-home series with the Langley Rivermen. Puck drop is at 7:00pm. Call 604-531-4625 for tickets.

The Trail Smoke Eaters will pay their lone visit to the South Surrey Arena on Sunday afternoon to face the home town Surrey Eagles. In the lone meeting between the two teams last season, the Smokies won 5-4 in overtime on January 27, 2012 in Surrey.

The Eagles are coming off Friday night's come-from-behind victory over the Vernon Vipers. Brady Shaw had two goals in that win for the Birds after being acquired from Coquitlam. Heading into Sunday's action, Surrey sits in last in the Mainland Division with a record of 6-5-0-1. The Eagles are 2-1-0-0 against opponents from the Interior Division so far this season and will look to win two games in a row for the first time this year.

Trail will play its third game in as many days after losing a pair of match-ups on the island to Victoria and Cowichan on Friday and Saturday respectively. The Smoke Eaters have struggled in the month of October, winning only one of seven games. Trail currently sits in fifth in the Interior Division with a record of 5-11-0-0. Brent Baltus leads the Smokies in scoring with nine goals and five assists in 14 games.

This afternoon's game is the second and final "Pink in the Rink" game as the Eagles support cancer awareness. Following the action, join the players on the ice for another Sunday Skate with the Eagles.

Today's game is also the second of five Surrey games that can be heard on TEAM 1040 Sports Radio in Vancouver.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Brady Shaw scored twice in his first game with the Surrey Eagles, helping the Birds to a 5-3 come-from-behind victory over the Vernon Vipers on Friday night. The 20-year-old forward, who was acquired from Coquitlam earlier in the day, now has eight goals this season. Michael Santaguida made 30 saves between the pipes, picking up the win.

The Vipers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when TJ Dumonceaux scored with a nice wrist shot off the rush on the right wing at 2:28. A few moments later, Vernon doubled its lead after Brett Corkey's point shot found its way past Santaguida, giving the Viper captain his first goal of the season. The Eagles struggled mightily in the opening frame, managing only three shots on Vernon goaltender Danny Todosychuk.

Surrey got on the board early in the second period when Colton Mackie made a beautiful move out of the left corner and beat Todosychuk with a back-hander over the shoulder to pull the Birds within one. But less than a minute later, the Vipers regained the two goal lead when Logan Robin shovelled a rebound past Santaguida to make it 3-1. The Eagles responded in the late stages of the middle frame. With Pearce Eviston in the penalty box, Shaw scored his first as an Eagle, firing a wrister past Todosychuk from the bottom of the right circle with just 15 seconds remaining in the period.

The Birds started the third period much like they ended the second. Less than two minutes in, Santaguida found Shaw with a stretch pass at the attacking blue line, and the newcomer muscled his way around behind the goal, tucking a wrap-around into the Vernon net to tie the game on the power play. The Surrey man advantage wasn't done there. At 4:31, Craig Wyszomirski netted his second of the year, scoring with a shot from the right circle while Craig Martin sat in the sin bin. Demico Hannoun would complete the comeback, scoring into an empty net in the final minute to clinch the victory.

Surrey's power play, which has struggled of late, went 3-for-7 on the evening. With the win, the Eagles improved to 6-5-0-1 on the season and moved into fourth in the Mainland Division.

Up next, Surrey hosts the Trail Smoke Eaters on Sunday afternoon. Face-off is at 4:00pm. Call 604-531-4625 for tickets.

Friday, October 19, 2012

The Surrey Eagles will host the Vernon Vipers tonight in the first of two meetings between the teams this season. In their only match-up last year, the Birds won 3-2 at the South Surrey Arena on November 18, 2011.

New addition Brady Shaw will play his first game in the green, white and blue tonight after being acquired from Coquitlam. The 20-year-old forward says he's looking forward to a new opportunity with a new team. Shaw joins a Surrey squad that is currently last in the Mainland Division but sits only six points behind his former team, the Coquitlam Express, who are currently in first. The Eagles are coming off a 3-0 loss at the hands of the Prince George Spruce Kings last Saturday.

"I think it's the first time this season that we've put together some quality efforts back-to-back after coming off that Merritt game," said Head Coach and GM Matt Erhart. "Coming back home, we've talked about having these two home games this weekend against teams we haven't seen yet and the importance of these two games for our club."

The Vipers have had a tough start to the season with only three victories in 12 games. The Vernon club sits in last in the Interior Division and has lost its last three in a row. Most recently, the Vipers dropped a 4-3 decision to the Merritt Centennials on Wednesday night. Despite the slow start, forward Adam Tambellini has been a bright spot for Vernon, putting up 11 points in 12 games. The Edmonton native has committed to attend the University of North Dakota.

Tonight is the first of two "Pink in the Rink" nights for the Eagles as the team supports Breast Cancer Awareness month. This evening's game will also mark the first night of the team's special promotion that will see a 57/43 split for the 50/50 draw until the end of the NHL lockout, with the winner taking away 57 per cent.

The Surrey Eagles Hockey Club announced on Friday that the team has traded Brandon Morley (94) to the Coquitlam Express in exchange for forward Brady Shaw (92).

Morley spent the last two seasons with the Eagles, playing alongside his older brother Tyler. In 2010-2011, Morley was named the team’s rookie of the year, and in 2011-2012, he put up 47 points in 49 games, helping the Eagles to a spot in the Coastal Conference final.

“The Eagles would like to thank Brandon for all that he’s given to our program,” said Head Coach and General Manager Matt Erhart. “He’s a hard worker and a mature young man that has a bright future ahead of him. Coquitlam is getting a quality individual.”

Shaw joins the Eagles after a strong start to the season in Coquitlam where he scored six goals and three assists in 12 games. The 20-year-old is in his second BCHL season after finishing second on the Express in goals with 33 last year. Shaw, who hails from Ottawa, is also the son of former NHLer and current St. Louis Blues assistant coach Brad Shaw.

“The Eagles are very excited to acquire a proven goal scorer like Brady,” said Erhart. “He possesses a great release and has always been dangerous against us. We expect him to provide an immediate offensive threat for our hockey club.”

Sunday, October 14, 2012

The Surrey Eagles failed to find the net for the first time in the 2012-2013 regular season in a 3-0 loss to the Prince George Spruce Kings at the Prince George Coliseum on Saturday night. Spruce Kings goaltender Kirk Thompson turned aside all 38 Surrey shots to lead his team to the victory while Prince George's top line scored all three goals.

The Spruce Kings got on the board late in the first period. Cam Lawson completed a two-on-one with Shayne Morrissey by beating Eagles net minder Michael Santaguida.

In the middle frame, Brandon Morley took the lone penalty of the evening for the Birds, and the Spruce Kings converted on the man advantage. Morrissey scored his first BCHL goal, burying a rebound off a Mitch Eden point shot that missed the goal and ricocheted off the end boards.

Prince George would score its third and final goal before the end of the second period when Lawson netted his second of the game and seventh of the season with a shot from the high slot. Lawson finished with three points while Morrissey had a goal and an assist.

The Spruce Kings improved to 7-4-1-1 with the win and are 2-0-0-0 against the Eagles this season. Prince George is third in the Mainland Division, one point back of first place Coquitlam.

Surrey is now 5-5-0-1 and sits in last in the Mainland Division. The Eagles power play went 0-for-3 on the evening, despite the fact that the Birds out shot Prince George 38-37 in the hockey game. Michael Santaguida made 34 stops in a losing cause.

The Eagles will return home to face the Vernon Vipers on Friday, October 19. The face-off goes at 7:00pm at the South Surrey Arena. For tickets, call 604-531-4625. Friday's game is also the first of two "Pink in the Rink" games as the Eagles support Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

The Surrey Eagles will visit Prince George for the first time this season to face the Spruce Kings tonight. It's the second meeting between the two teams. Prince George defeated Surrey 4-1 at the South Surrey Arena on October 5.

Surrey currently sits in last place in the tight Mainland Division with a record of 5-4-0-1. The Birds are coming off a 5-1 victory over the Merritt Centennials last Sunday. The game was arguably the best performance for Surrey in the first ten games of the season. Trevor Cameron and Michael Stenerson both scored twice in that game, and head coach Matt Erhart is looking to his older players to continue to find the net.

"We're one of the younger teams in the league," said Erhart. "We're carrying 12 rookies right now, so we need (our veterans) to step up.

"We played a great game as a team on Sunday. Getting the guys together for this road trip, the key is playing a good, solid, if it has to be boring then a boring 60 minute road game where guys are playing hard in all three zones."

The Spruce Kings will play their second game in as many nights this evening after beating the Powell River Kings 2-1 last night. Bryant Christian had a goal in the win yesterday. The 19-year-old BCHL rookie also had a strong outing last week in the win over Surrey, putting up two points. Prince George currently sits in third in the Mainland Division with a record of 6-4-1-1. The Spruce Kings are undefeated in regulation this season at the friendly confines of the Prince George Coliseum.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Trevor Cameron and Michael Stenerson each scored twice in the second period to help lead the Surrey Eagles to a big 5-1 victory over the Merritt Centennials on Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Birds improved to 5-4-0-1 on the season. Michael Santaguida had a strong performance in goal, making 34 saves for his second BCHL victory.

Surrey opened the scoring at 16:05 of the first period when Stefan Burzan netted his second goal of the season, beating Merritt goaltender Tyler Steel with a wrist shot from the high slot. Despite being out shot in the opening frame, the Eagles took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

Early in the middle frame, the Centennials got into penalty trouble and the Birds made them pay. Cameron gave Surrey a 2-0 lead with his first of the year at 3:21 on the power play, and just under 90 seconds later, Stenerson scored his third of the season while Centennials defenseman Kevin Lohan watched from the sin bin. Cameron potted his second of the afternoon at 7:30 after finishing off a two-on-one with Brandon Morley. Immediately after the goal, Merritt head coach Luke Pierce pulled Steel and replaced him with 18-year-old Russell Sanderson between the pipes. Stenerson extended the Surrey lead to five when he redirected a Craig Wyszomirski point shot that found its way between the legs of Sanderson at 13:34.

Cents defenseman Dylan Chanter broke Santaguida's shutout bid at 2:59 of the third period, scoring the lone goal for the Cents on the power play. The Merritt man advantage, which came into the day in first in the league, went 1-for-4 while Surrey went 2-for-3 on the power play.

Eagles forward Colton Mackie was given a game misconduct after getting into two fights in the hockey game. The Surrey native dropped the gloves with Charlie Donlin in the first period and Sean Maktaak in the second period.

The Birds play next on Saturday, October 13th in Prince George against the Spruce Kings.

The Surrey Eagles will host the Merritt Centennials this afternoon at the South Surrey Arena in the first of two games between the teams this season. The Birds and Cents only faced each other once in the 2011-12 campaign. Merritt picked up a 2-0 win on October 21, 2011 at the Nicola Valley Arena.

The Eagles enter tonight's action on a two game losing streak, although the first of those two losses was in double overtime. It's the first time Surrey has lost two in a row this season. Despite the losses, Devon Toews has been a bright spot of late for the Birds, scoring in his last two games. The 18-year-old leads Eagles defensemen with six points in nine games this year.

Merritt is playing its third game in as many days and is coming off a 5-1 loss to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs on the island last night. It was only the second regulation loss of the season for the Cents, who sit in second in the Interior Division. Rookie defenseman Dane Birks has had a good start to the year for Merritt, putting up nine points in seven games. The Williams Lake native will be attending Michigan Tech beginning in 2014.

After today's game, the Eagles will host another Sunday Skate. Bring your skates and sticks out to the rink and join the boys on the ice following the game at around 6:45pm.

Friday, October 5, 2012

In their first meeting of the season, the Prince George Spruce Kings picked up a 4-1 victory over the Surrey Eagles at the South Surrey Arena on Friday evening. Bryant Christian led the way with two points for the Spruce Kings while Devon Toews scored the lone goal for the Eagles in the loss.

The teams battled back and forth in the opening frame and looked to be headed to the dressing room with the game still scoreless until Liam Board notched his fifth goal of the season, beating Surrey goaltender Glenn Ferguson to give the visitors a 1-0 lead heading to the break.

Midway through the second period, the Spruce Kings doubled their lead when Jake LeBrun knocked home a one-timer off a cross crease pass from Christian to make the game 2-0. Before the middle frame was finished, the Eagles pulled to within one when Devon Toews fired a slap shot past Prince George net minder Kirk Thompson on the power play. With that goal, the Birds snapped a drought with the man advantage that had extended to 28 straight power play opportunities without a goal.

In the third, the Spruce Kings would ice the victory, getting goals from Christian, who beat Ferguson with a wrap around, and Tyson Witala, who fired a back handed shot into the top shelf. Things got a little out of hand in the late going with a couple of fights. First, Latrell Charleson of Prince George dropped the gloves with Craig Wyszomirski of the Eagles. Charleson was given an instigator penalty while Wyszomirski picked up an aggressor penalty, both in addition to fighting majors and game misconducts. Then with just six seconds remaining, Demico Hannoun was assessed a kneeing major for a hit on Karan Toor of the Spruce Kings. Hannoun was then challenged by Prince George's Sean Landrey and both received fighting penalties and game misconducts. Landrey was also adjudged to be the instigator of that fight.

Despite scoring with the man advantage for the first time in over five games, the Eagles went 1-for-7 on the power play in the loss. Surrey now has a record of 4-4-0-1.

For Prince George, Thompson had a strong game between the pipes, making 27 saves for his fifth win of the young season. The Spruce Kings improved to 5-2-1-1 with the win and now sit in a tie with Coquitlam for first place in the Mainland Division.

Up next, the Eagles host the Merritt Centennials on Sunday afternoon. The puck drop is at 4:00pm. For tickets, call 604-531-4625.

The Prince George Spruce Kings will visit the South Surrey Arena for the first time this season when they face the Surrey Eagles this evening. It's the first of eight games between the teams which is a big change seeing as they only met once in the 2011-12 campaign. In that game, the Birds triumphed 2-1 on December 18 of last year.

The Eagles are coming off last Sunday's double overtime loss to Chilliwack and sit in fourth in the Mainland Division with a record of 4-3-0-1. Despite dropping the game to the Chiefs, Surrey picked up three of a possible four points last weekend. However, the Birds have struggled on the power play of late, failing to convert on their last 25 opportunities with a man advantage.

"At the end of the day it comes back down to hard work," said head coach and GM Matt Erhart of the power play problems. "I think we were getting outworked for loose pucks, and guys were kind of waiting for the puck to get to them instead of attacking for the puck. When we do get the puck, we need to be more aggressive and attack seams and put the pressure on the penalty kill to kill the penalty and not just sit back and let us kill the penalty for them."

After picking up points in their first six games of the season, the Spruce Kings enter tonight's action looking to bump a two game losing skid, following losses in Merritt and Penticton last weekend. Tonight's game is only the second divisional match-up for Prince George this year while the Eagles have already faced opponents from the Mainland Division four times. New addition Cam Lawson, who joined the Spruce Kings from Victoria in the trade that saw the Fitzgerald triplets shipped to the island, leads the team in goals with five. Prince George currently sits in second in the Mainland Division with a 4-2-1-1 record, leaving them only two points back of Coquitlam.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Colton Gillies has been skating with the Eagles over the past couple of weeks with the NHL lockout dragging on. The White Rock native played three games for the Eagles in the 2004-05 season but spent the rest of his junior career with Saskatoon of the WHL.

I had a chance to catch up with Colton after practice yesterday to discuss the NHL lockout, his plans if it drags on much longer and his thoughts on the Eagles and the BCHL.